A council should spend at least £250,000 buying a town's market hall, opposition councillors say.

The Conservatives on Staffordshire Moorlands District Council are calling on the authority to 'make every effort' to purchase Cheadle Market Hall when it goes under the hammer next week.

In an open letter to SMDC chief executive Andrew Stokes, Tory group leader Paul Roberts says that owning buildings such as Cheadle Market Hall will make it easier for the council to regenerate the town. Cllr Roberts also claims that funds should be available for the purchase, as money from SMDC's £17.1 million Levelling Up Fund allocation is being used for the refurbishment of Leek's markets.

Cheadle Market Hall, which is currently owned by Northern Markets, will be sold via an online auction, starting on September 11, with a minimum opening bid of £250,000.

Opposition councillors say the council should 'make every effort' to buy the building (Google).

In his letter, Cllr Roberts says: "The Conservative group requests that SMDC make every effort to purchase this property and show its commitment to investing in Cheadle. Leek has benefited from the funds that we obtained from the Levelling Up Fund during our administration and as this has released funds that would have need to be spent maintaining that property, these should be now invested in supporting Cheadle urgently.

"We cannot express strongly enough the importance of SMDC owning more assets in Cheadle. Regeneration of the town will be made considerable more difficult if we do not have assets under our control. Please urge the finance team to make every endeavour to secure this property for the people of Cheadle and future generations."

According to the SDL Property Auctions website, the auction will be a 'unique opportunity to purchase a historical market place in Cheadle'. The sale will include the outdoor square as well as the 3,220 market hall itself, which has space for 30 stalls, including Griffs Cafe.

The advert for the sale states: "The market can be the beating heart of a communit so this is an opportunity for someone to continue the good work of the current owners and help local trades to flourish."

SMDC leader Mike Gledhill said the council would consider its options in relation to the market. He said: "The council wants our three towns and villages across the Moorlands to thrive so opportunities to invest in regeneration initiatives are always of interest to us. We are aware of this potential opportunity in Cheadle and are awaiting the publication of the legal pack from the vendors so we can fully explore our options."

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